Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1887-03-02
SIiORT-LIVED.



Show that Americans Are short-Livcd.
The Medical ami SWgical Reporter
has recently printed n comparative All
aiysis of the mortality statistics of the
United States, France, England, and
Ireland, which is anything but flatter-
ing IN the presentation it makes of the
probabilities of life in this country.
The tables for this country are those
found in the volume OF tho last census
report. which has recently been issued,
and the tables of the other countries are
made up from official data of the same
period. As in the year 1880 there was
no general epidemic in this country,
and as it is not known that that year
was in any way out of the common in
the countries of Western Europe, it is
presumable that the record presented is
u fair average OF other years.
Not to confuse the reader by statisti-
cal tabuations, il may suffice to say
that the tables in tho census report
show that the average duration OF life
of people in the United States is less
than twenty years; that is to say. of all
OF those born fully one-half die before
they have completed their twentieth
year. Of o. - death rate is
largest among very young children,
about 40 per cent dying before the age
of tive, But after that period the death
rate with us seems to maintain itself
on what might he termed the high pres
sure scale, and thus only twenty-five
American men and women out of 100
live to DO more than fifty years of age,
and only about four out Of 100 live to
be eighty years OF age. 1t is asserted IN
the census reports that the rates of NOR
tally are higher IN the large cities than
in the country districts, though ii ia
quite probable that this increase is
shown in the mortality OF children
under five years OF age, rather than in
the rates OF death appertaining to those
of more advanced years
The comparison OF our tables with
those OF England is somewhat to our
disadvantage, though not MS much so
as similar comparisons instituted be-
tween the American rates Of mortality
and those of France and ireland. The
death rate under five years of age in
England is, on the whole. higher than
that of this country, On the other
hand, II per cent Of our population die
between the ages OF five and twenty
years, while in England the death rale
of this period is only s per cent of the
whole. In the United States "a per
cent Of the population die between the
ages of twenty and fifty, while in En-
gland the average mortality is on y Il
per cent between the ages of twenty and
iifty-iive. 1t thus transpires that thorG
are proportiOnatcly, rs many people in
England who live to be scvenly-tive
years of age as there are people in the
United States who live to be seventy
years of age
But when VIC come to France the
showing is very much more to our dis
advantage, As we said above, only
twenty-five people Out of 100 in the
United States live to the age of fifty,
while in France forty-eight people out
of 100 attain that age; and while with
Us only about ~ per cent of the in
habilants reach the age of threescore
years and ten, in France % per cent of
all thOso born survive that traditional
limit of human life. The death rats
among children in France is equally re-
markabIe, standing rs 26 per cent for
those under five years, to 40 per cent as
given in our statistics.
In Ireland the death rate amHng
children under five years of are is about
the same rs in France. Where we lose
half OF our population by the age of
twenty the Irish only part with % per
cent of theirs, and almost one-half OF
the deaths are Of persons over iorly-iive
years of age The Irish do not seem 10
live to us long period as the French,
and yet nearly five in 100 of the deaths
are Of persons over oi2uly-ivc years OF
age-a showing in ali respects better
than ours.
The conclusions to be drawn from
this EXHIBIT, says the Boston Neraia are
entirely TO the dctriment of the Ameri-
can systems of social and business life,
The high rate OF mortality among chill
dren under five years of age may be Cue
to Il number OF different causes, ST. h rs
insufficient care, want of physical
strength on the part of parents, and,
perhaps, abnormal conditions of life.
The exceptional high rate of mortality
at the period between ten and twenty
years of age can doubtless be attributed
to the social excitement, verging nj
most on dissipation. in which Young
people in this country are allowed TO
indulge, and. perhaps. also 10 the ten
sion upon the physical system of our
methods OF Udu alton. il is certainly y
fact that, pr0portlonarly
nearly twice rs many Americans die III
the decade between their tenth and
twentieth years as English young people
of similar ages. That so few of our
people live TO be over fifty is equally
significant; for, while we have better
food and better lodgings, and while the
sanitary conditions OF existence are
studied here with, perhaps, rs great
care rs elsewhere, these are evidently
insufficient TO offset the re-
suits of the wear and tear of existence,
which are the concomtants of our high
ly nervous and intense social and bu>i-
ness activity.
There are, no doubt, advantages at
tendant upon the American system Of
life; but if statistics prove anything,
they demonstrate that VIC obtain these